Mail-deliverer.



J.STANLEY.

MAIL DELIVEHER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 23.19I6.

Patented Apr. 8,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I In: NORRIS PEYERS 0a.. wuoro-u'rum. wssnnvcmu n c J, STANLEY.

MAIL DEL|VERER.-

APPLICATION FILED ssrn'ze, ms.

Patented Apr. 8,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J. STANLEY.

MAIL DELIVERER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 28. I916.

. Patented Apr. 8,1919.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3- onnicn,

JAMES sTANLnY, or WASHINGTON, DISTRICT or conuivnnn.

MAIL-DELIVERER.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented Ap1n'8, 1919.

Application filed September 28, 1916. Serial Ito. 122,656.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES, STANLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of. Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Deliverers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which forms; part of this specification. f 1

My invention relates to mail-bag catchers and deliverers. It has for its object to provide a receptacle for the mail-mattenlarge or small, whether for receiving or delivering the mail from the car which will securely hold the mail until it is to be discharged therefrom, and will readily respond to the operating opening member, and from which also the quick discharge of the mail will be accelerated by a gravitatin weight within the receptacle; also to provi e for delivering mail from more than one receptacle, in suc- 'cession, as the mail car passes a station, with a different character of mail matter placed in the different receptacles, or mail of a miscellaneous character placed in one or more of the receptacles; also to provide a construction' in which the impact or effects thereof will be reduced to the minimum or small degree by reason of the details of construction employed, "thereby lessening the liability of damage or impairment of efficiency in the operatingparts.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as may. hereinafter appear the invention consists in the features hereinafter described and then sought to be clearly defined by the claims, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings formin a part hereof, and in which.

d igure 1 is a side elevation of a car, and crane, and receiving trough, embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same parts, with portions of the car broken away to show the location of certain parts at the doors of the car;

Fig. .3 is a cross section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. & is a-detail View, with the receptacle 'by means of 'mail clerk, and provided witha in vertical section, showing a' mail-bag and accelerating weight therein Fig- 5 a vertical section through the receptacle on line 5-5 of Fig. 4:,"looking in the direction of the arrow;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section through the receptacle with the accelerating weight in its lowermost position; v Fig. 7 a bottom plan view of the recepftacle with the swinging bottom closed;

Fig. 8 is :a'detail sectional view on the line 88ofFig.8;: A

Fig.9 is a detail view showing manner of suspending the receptacle from the end of the crane; Fig. 10 is a plan view ofone of the sockets; for receiving the ends of the post from which the receptacles are supported.

In the drawings the numeral 1 designates a mail car which in-its general construction may be of any well known approvedtype.

For the purpose of receiving vmail suspended by a crane along side the track it is formed with an opening 'thecar is provided at the top with arms 5 of suitable form and material suitably hinged'or pivoted at one end by pintlesfi to the top or roof of the car, and thetwo arms are connected together at their other ends preferably by a flexible cable or cross bar 7 which when the arms are raised will serve 'toengage the latch of a mail containing receptacle hereinafter described so as to release the catch and open the re'cep'tacle for delivery of the mail. These arms are raised a suitable rope or cable 9 ex tending into the car within reach of the knob or enlargement l0 which when therope or cable is slipped into a slot' lle forme'd in a cross piece 12 will bear againsttlie underside of the cross-piece and hold the arms in their raised position, as shown at the left of'Fig. 1 and which may be slackened to permit the arms to lie upon the top of the caras shown in full lines at the right of Fig. l. The a'rmsare also attached by cables 2 in its top which may be of suitable dimensions and best located for suitable Under or chains 8 tothe car so .as to limit the arms to the proper elevation for their cross connecting cable or bar to engage the latch of the mail receptacle. lVhen the car has passed the station the doors are closed and the catch releasing device lowered.- At the station, alongside the track, is erected one or more cranes 13' for supporting the mail containing receptacles which cranes may be of any suitable construction but preferably of the construction illustrated. At its end the crane is provided with: a bracket 14 within which. is journaled a sheave or pulley 1 .5 over which passes a rope or cable 16- for raising and lowering the mail containing receptacle, said cable passing through guides 17 attached to the crane and one end is connected to a drum 18 journaled in a bracket 19 and adapted to be rotated by a handle 20 and held by a ratchet and pawl device 20 of any approved form so that the cable may be wound and unwound to and from. the: drum. To the other end ofvthe cable is attached the mail containing receptacle 21. This receptacle is made of any snitablematerial and is provided. with a bail 22 which at its upper end is attached to a block 23 to which the cable is attached and which when the receptacle isin delivering position will fit between-the face of the sheave or pulley 15' and the side of the bracket 14;- so as. to steady the receptacle in its: suspension, and also enables the receptacle. to be turned a half revolution and held that position so as to present the latch of the receptacle properly toward the traveling nail car-if moving in the opposite direction to that indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1 o f'the drawing. The receptacle is provided with a swinging bottom 24 which is held closed by a swinging latch 25 attached to thereceptacleand which has side projections 26 adapted to 'fit beneath the bottom when the latch is in its locking position so as. to: hold the; bottom closed, the latch at such time fitting in a notch 27 formed in thee'dg'eof the bottom. The receptacle is also provided with a weight 28 designed to rest on top of the mail matter in the re ceptacle so as to accelerate the discharge of the mail matter when the bottom is opened, said weight being provided with a handgrip- 30'for lifting it and withchains .31 for attaching the weight to the receptacle'and for limiting its downward movement. The swinging bottom is also preferably provided with; a projecting lip 32' designed: tnv strike aga-instthe side of the receptaclewhen the bottom is opened and tliu'srestrict the backward swing of the bottom and at the same time make the latterserve to direct the mail matter into the opening in thetop of them. the construction described. the mail matter contained" in a mail bag 33, orin separate packages or parcels,- is placed with- -cle will fit within bands or of its bottom to be engaged by in thereceptacle with the bottom closed and held by the latch and with the accelerating weight resting. ontop thereof, and the receptacle raised to the overhanging arm of thecrane by means of the drum or Windlass described. As the train approaches the staand. whichwill drop through the opening in: the top of the car and be deposited on the floor of the car or on to a table provided to receive it, the weight within the receptacle accelerating and insuring the quick delivery of the mail matter from the receptacle. 1 If .the train pass in the opposite direction to that indicated by arrows in Fig. 1, the receptacle will be turned to presentv thelock ing latch at the opposite point to that shown iirFig. 1 and the receptacle held in that positionby engagement of its bail block 23 between the sheave 15 and side ofthe bracket 14: as before mentioned, and the latch releasing arms at the opposite end of the car raised so thattheir cross member will engage the locking latch and release the bottom of'the receptacle for discharge of the mail matter as described.

If the mail matter is to be delivered from the car instead-of to the car, a receptacle, or receptacles 21 similar to the receptacle 21 isprovidedfor the mail matter, except that the suspending bail is omitted. The receptarings 84 carried by arms '35 attached to a post 36 journaledain sockets3-7 and 38, the latter preferablybeing formed in two parts as shown'in Fig: 10- so that when the post is to be changed from one position to another it may readily be removed from its sockets by releasing one section: from the stop pin 39 and swinging it on its pivot 40 so as to) release the post; The rings or bands 34: are

formed with: notches or slots 41 and the receptacle 21 with side projecting pins 42 to fit m the slots soas to secure the receptacle in proper position for the locking latch I the releasing device for'opening the bottom for discharge of the mail matter. By turning the receptacleone half a revolution the position of the locking latch will be changed so as to render the'receptacles operative in whichever direction the train is running. In delivering from thecar a trough 4.3is placed alongside the track and it is provided with upright arms'or posts 44:. connected one to the other by a member 45', preferably a flexible cable, drawn taut, so that as the train passesthe Ioc'king latch ofthereceptacle will engage the'cross member and be released so that the bottom may swing open and the mail matter be discharged into the trough. This releasing member is shown as. applied at one end of the troughbut it is obvious that the trough may be made longer and the releasing member placed midway or 0therwise between the two ends of the trough so that if themail be delivered from the same sideof the car in the travelof the train in one direction, or the other, for instance on a single track road, the mail will be delivered into the trough. As this is an obvious change it is not illustrated. There may be several deliveries from the car at any station, for illustration I have illustrated four, two deliveries from each of two doors of the car; and if it be desired to change the delivery from one side to the other, the supporting posts may be released from their sockets and transferred from one side to the other, or if it be desired to deliver from both sides at one station or another, the supporting posts and receptacle carrier may be duplicated so as to be applied to each door at both sides of the car. For steadying the arms carrying the receptacles when swung outward to deliver the mail, the side frames of the door may be formed with recesses l6 to receive the arms as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawing,"and if desired screw bolts 47 with operating handles l8 or other suitable means, may be employed for temporarily locking the armsin their outward extended positions. A few turns of these bolts will unlock the arms so that they may be swung to position within the car.

It will be observed that in delivering bot-h from the crane and from the car provision is made for shifting or changing the mail receptacle so that it will be operative to discharge the mail in whichever direction the train is running, and also for securely holding it in such position so as to insure prompt action of the operating-parts. It will further be observed that the mail may be de-. 'hvered in sacks, or 1n separate packages or' parcels, or both, from the same or different receptacles, and that whether much or little mail matter be placed in the receptacle it will be promptly discharged therefrom at the proper time by reason of the accelerat ing weight resting on top of the mail matter. Theparts of the deliverer are of such simple construction that they can be made I and installed. at comparatively small'cost, and are strong and durable and capable of withstanding the shocks to which devices for the same purpose are subjected.

Having described my invention and set forth its merits, what I claim is:

1. A mail deliverer, comprising a mailholding receptacle provided with a swinging bottom, a swinging latch attached to the receptacle and having a portion depending below the bottom of the receptacle and pro- "ided with side pro ections above its lower portion for engaging the swinging bottom to hold the same closed,'and a latch releasing device supported in relation to the reholding the receptacle in either of two po-' sitions without removal of the support to present the latch in operative relation to the.

releasing device.

3. A mail deliverer, comprising a mailholding receptacle provided with a swinging bottom, a. latch attached to the receptacle and engaging the swinging bottom to hold the same closed, a latch releasing de vice supported in relation to the receptacle to engage the latch to release it from hold ing engagement with the swinging bottom, a crane provided with means for suspending the receptacle from the crane, a bail attached to the receptacle, and a member at tached to the bail and disposed in relation to the overhanging arm of the crane to engage with portions of the crane to sustain the receptacle in either of two positions to present the latch in operative relation to the releasing device.

at. A 'mail deliverer, comprising a mail holding receptacle provided with a swinging bottom, a swinging latch attached to the receptacle and engaging the bottom to hold the same closed, a car formed with an opening in its roof to receive mail discharged from the receptacle, and a device for releasing the latch of the receptacle,

said device comprising a swinging arm at-.

5. A mail deliverer comprising a mail.

holding receptacle provided with a swinging bottom, a latch attached to the receptacle for holding the bottom closed, a releasing device positioned to engage the latch to release the same when the bottom of the receptacle is to be opened, means for supporting the receptacle and moving it into position for delivering mail therefrom, and

means for securing the receptacle in difi er be opened and mail is to be delivered from ent adjusted positions to present its latch in the receptacle, means Within the receptacle 10 operative relation to said releasing device. to rest upon mail matter for accelerating the 6. A mail deliverer comprising a mail delivery ofmai'l matter from the receptacle holding receptacle provided With a movable and means for limiting the descent of said bottom, a latch attached to the receptacle accelerating means. r for holding the bottom closed, means for In testimony whereof I affix my signature. 15 releasing the latch When the bottom is to v JAMES STANLEY.

, Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by. addressing the Commissioner ofIPatents,

Washington, D. G. r, 

